Governor Murphy Swears-In Three Members of Cabinet Leadership Team

New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Adjutant General, Brigadier General Jemal Beale, is sworn-in on Monday April 2, 2018. Edwin J. Torres/ Governor’s Office.

Trenton – Governor Phil Murphy today administered the oath of office to three members of his cabinet – Brigadier General Jemal J. Beale as Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; Dr. Shereef Elnahal as Commissioner of the Department of Health; and Carole Johnson as Commissioner of the Department of Human Services.

“I am honored to officially welcome Jemal Beale, Shereef Elnahal, and Carole Johnson as members of the Cabinet,” Governor Murphy said. “Their breadth of experience and commitment to service helps to ensure a bright future for New Jersey and all those who live here. I applaud the Senate for confirming their nominations and look forward to moving forward with pending appointments, a critical part of building a stronger future for our state.”

A decorated combat veteran with more than 30 years of military service, Brigadier General Jemal J. Beale previously served as the Deputy Chief of Staff (Logistics) for the Joint Force Headquarters, New Jersey National Guard; Director of Plans, Operation, Training and Safety for Joint Force Headquarters of the New Jersey National Guard at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. He also was the Executive Officer of the 42nd Regional Support Group based in Somerset, NJ, and Commander of the New Jersey Army National Guard Recruiting Battalion. He has served in support of domestic missions and overseas operations in Afghanistan, Italy, Germany, and Albania. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, Combat Action Badge, Air Assault Badge, Humanitarian Service Medal, and Basic Recruiting Badge. Beale received his Masters of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, and earned his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Kean University, Union, NJ.

“It is the ultimate honor to command the more than 8,400 Soldiers and Airmen of the New Jersey National Guard and as a veteran, I look forward to serving the more than 350,000 veterans in the state by providing the best services available,” said Brig. Gen. Jemal J. Beale, the Adjutant General.

Prior to becoming the 21st Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, Dr. Shereef Elnahal worked as a physician executive in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), serving as the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health. In this capacity, he led efforts to improve the quality and safety of healthcare delivery to veterans. In addition, he spearheaded unprecedented efforts around transparency in access and performance, as well as standardizing best practices that prevent opioid dependency, improve women’s healthcare, and enhance access to care for veterans. Dr. Elnahal was first appointed to the VA by President Barack Obama as a White House Fellow in 2015. He has authored many publications on health care quality, operations management, and patient safety in journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), BMJ, the American Journal of Medical Quality, and the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Dr. Elnahal is a licensed physician, receiving a dual-degree M.D. and M.B.A. with Distinction from Harvard University, and has worked as a physician in training in Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins Hospital.

“I am honored that Governor Murphy has chosen me to lead the Department of Health,” said Dr. Elnahal. “It is a tremendous responsibility. But with a new leadership team and a Governor who has already guided the department to make progress on the state’s most pressing health issues, such as restoring women’s health funding and significantly expanding access to medical marijuana, I am confident that we will be successful on behalf of New Jersey residents.”